Getting closer to a purchase

[Dbone]

The wife and I took out a T6 a couple nights ago and were tremendously impressed with the vehicle. In both of our minds the XC70 is a totally different vehicle with that motor compared to the 3.2 base engine. Without going with a T6 I just couldn't do it I don't think. There is just so much more engine noise going back into the cab with the 3.2...probably because the engine is working so much harder to haul the XC's fat ass around than the T6. With the mileage being virtually indentical it's a no brainer.

It drives me mad, however, with the way the T6 is packaged this year. To get into this motor you have to get all this extra stuff that you might not necessarily want. Some of the current incentives erase some of the extra price but still...

Despite some concerns that we have with reliability of Volvos these days we have pretty much decided to pull the trigger and buy one anyway. We're hoping that some of the earlier problems have been worked out by the 3rd year etc...yada yada...Maybe we'll get one of the good ones...here's to hoping...

Cheers

[Lotus99]

With the mileage being virtually indentical it's a no brainer.

On paper, yeah, they're supposed to be identical. Not sure about real life...

I like our car for the most part. That is when it runs fine, and not counting when it's in the shop every other month...

Hope the purchase of Volvo by Geely the Chinese car company does Volvo good. Many people are waiting to see how it plays out, and the general consensus I feel on Volvo forums I've been reading is a negative one as to how it will impact Volvo a few years down the road.

[budrichard]

We have pretty much decided to purchase another XC70 towards the end of the 2010 model year but that will probably be our last. I watched GM destroy Saab and Ford start Volvo on its way to the same fate. My brother-in-law, a long time turbo Saab driver purchased an Opel/Saab from GM the first year of production. i told him not to do it but he did. Vehicle lasted about 2 years and an M3 was in its place. Horrible vehicle that Saab.-Dick

[Dbone]

On paper, yeah, they're supposed to be identical. Not sure about real life...

I like our car for the most part. That is when it runs fine, and not counting when it's in the shop every other month...

Hope the purchase of Volvo by Geely the Chinese car company does Volvo good. Many people are waiting to see how it plays out, and the general consensus I feel on Volvo forums I've been reading is a negative one as to how it will impact Volvo a few years down the road.

Trust me, I can only imagine how annoyed you must be feeling about your regular visits to the dealer etc. Stories like yours made me wrestle with the decision to buy for a long time, but the reality is there are way more stories about people running these cars with no problems at all....My sister owned a volvo, some friends have them etc. No complaints. I like the car enough to take a gamble.

I suppose it is possible that you got really unlucky and ended up with the car that Jack built on Friday afternoon. At the end of the day it is just a car and the way I see it is, if it doesn't work out then lesson learned....don't buy another etc...

I do know this. If I end up having major problems etc. the car will end up getting purchased back by Volvo Canada so fast they wont even know what hit them. After spending this kind of money on a vehicle I will not accept major issues and major time in the shop on a new vehicle (drive shafts, suspension redos etc).

I am certainly willing to deal with the possibility of a total nightmare scenario, but not accept the possibility if you get my meaning.

I would be Volvo's worst nightmare. I have read about a few people who successfully got manufacturers to completely reimburse them for a vehicle in Canada through some 3rd party arbitration unit, and a 2008 Volvo xc70 was one of those vehicles.

Here's to hoping...I'm not expecting the thing to be as reliable as my Toyota 4runner or the Honda accord that it is replacing. I just want to have at least average reliability...If it can deliver that then I will consider it acceptable...Hell, I'd even accept slightly below average reliability. This does not include replacing drive shafts and the entire suspension in the first couple thousand Kms...

Are your problems subsiding at this point or what?

Cheers

[Dbone]

We have pretty much decided to purchase another XC70 towards the end of the 2010 model year but that will probably be our last. I watched GM destroy Saab and Ford start Volvo on its way to the same fate. My brother-in-law, a long time turbo Saab driver purchased an Opel/Saab from GM the first year of production. i told him not to do it but he did. Vehicle lasted about 2 years and an M3 was in its place. Horrible vehicle that Saab.-Dick

As far as I know, the only raping and pillaging of Volvo that Ford has done is steal/use half of it platforms and safety technologies in Blue oval products. As far as I can tell Ford has pretty much left Volvo to its own devices over the years and let it do its thing. Have there been problems? Yes, but that can be said about any car company can't it?

Like Lotus, I have been following this Geely stuff a bit on other forums (Swedespeed etc) and people are driving themselves crazy speculating about what might or might not happen. People did the exact same thing when Ford took over. My guess is things will be fine, but at the end of the day it is just a car. I say this despite being quite passionate about the Volvo brand. I love it but won't lose sleep over it.

I had this conversation with a Volvo dealership. They said back when Ford was taking over they were all freaking out and worried that it was the end of Volvo cars. He says this time around it is different...They are not concerned this time around for whatever the reason...he didn't really elaborate too much, other than to say that all indications are that Geely will let Volvo operate as Volvo...

Sounds like a good idea to me for them to leave it alone. What the heck do the Chinese know about safety?!?!?! :-) They need to get the melamine out of their dog food and cadmium out out childens' braclet jewelry before they can have the idea of messing with Volvo safety :-)

Cheers

[Lotus99]

Luckily nothing major has happened lately. But last month, car got a check engine light, and I'm guessing went into some sort of limp mode (didn't drive it myself, but my wife told me that it felt like it had less power). I took it in, and they actually couldn't figure out what was wrong. They cleared the code, it didn't come back, and that's the best they said they could do, unless it happens again!

Then there was the rear window on one side that just decided to stop working one day, and the dealer had to update some software, and it got fixed.

I've said before, the car's operating system seems to be Windows.

So it just seems like every other month, it's some new thing. Thank god, the place is close to my work, and I can drop it off in the morning and pick it up on my way home, so not a huge hassle. Still it's a PITA nonetheless.

Since Canada doesn't have lemon laws, you'd have to have some serious problems with your car and it would have to be undriveable for days, from what I understand, to be able to actually get them to buy back your car. Hope it never comes to that for you.

[Tango]

Any manufacturer will have its problems. Not just Volvo. Volvo reliability has risen significantly the last several years. Our friends Pontiac Grand Pre (sp) just had the tranny die with only 36,000 miles on it. My cousin had 2 tranny's in his Dodge pick up in less than 20,000 miles. They all have their lemons. I had a Toyota Corolla that they bought back under the Lemon Law. Everyone knows how super Toyota's are. Tom :)